And just using those limited inputs, the game somehow perfectly nails the feeling of what skateboarders and snowboarders call “flow,” the transcendent state where heightened focus and practiced skill join together in perfect unison and every movement segues perfectly into the next. A short tap executes a jump, while a longer press executes a backflip. When it comes to mobile-focused games, the simplest gameplay ideas are typically the most successful, and the core mechanic that drives Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City couldn’t be simpler. What it is: A side-scrolling endless runner with a sandboarding twist.
